Potato agitator



uw. 27, 1927. 1,653,957 A. W. GRAY PDTATO AGITATOR Filed July 5, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALBERT W. GRAY,

PATENT OFFICE.

or Etnona, Iowa.

POTATO AGITATOR.

Application filed July 5,

the seed potato hopper of a potato cutting device, the device itselfbeing installed on a potato planter. My present invention is animprovement over the agitator shown in my Patent No. 1,606,567 issuedNovember 9, 1926. u

A further object of my present `invention is to provide such an agitatorof simple, durable, and comparatively inexpensive construction. i

Still a further object is to provide the seed potato hopper with anopening in the bottom thereof and agitator wings around this opening forthe purpose ot' agitating the seed potatoes and causingthem to fallthrough the opening onto the cutting mechanism forming a part of thepatent just referred to. i

Still a further Objectis to provide a novel arrangement for operativelyconnecting the various agitator wings together whereby they may all bedriven from a single lever.

Still a further object is to provide one of the agitator wings mountedin asubstantially vertical position whereby it has the effect ofvi'orcing the potatoes down to the cutting mechanism as well asagitating the-m,

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mypotato agitator, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, ashereinatter more fully `set forth, pointed out in my claims, andillustrated in the accomf panying drawings, in which?V Figure 1illustrates a side elevation kci a potato vplanter' showing the seedpotato hopper mounted thereon, my improved-agi-y tating` device beingincluded in the hopper.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the `potato hopper showing vthe agitatorsmounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a sectionalview throughthe hopper on the line 3"?) ot Figure2.

Figure, 4 is a frontend elevation ot a portion of the hopper, partsbeing broken away and other parts being shown in section-g and 1 Figure5 is a rear end elevation of a portion of they seed potato hopper.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral l() toindicate generally va potato planter. The potato 1927. Serial No.203,300.

planter 10 is provided with supporting wheels 12 which provide power:tor operating a potato cutting mechanism as well as my improvedagitator device as the potato planter is propelled. over the ground. Acrank shaft 14 is journaled in bearings on the frame of thepotatoplanter and is driven through the mediumot a sprocket 16 thereon.vA sprocket 18 is secured to the potato planter wheel- 12. s Thesprockets 16 and 18 are operatively connected together by a chain 2Owhereby the crank shaft 14 will be` rotated upon rotation oi" the potatoplanter wheels 12. Pivoted at 22 to the `trame of the potato planter 10is a slotted arm 24. The arm 24 isv adaptedfto swing on the pivot bolt22. Such swinging movement is imparted to the arm 2li by a crank arm 26secured to the crankshaft 14; The crank arm 26 has journaled thereon aroller 28 adapted to travel in a groove `30 formed in the arm 24C. Itwill be obvious that rotation of the crank arm 26 will cause [the roller28 to move up and down in the slot 30 and in so doing the arm- 24 willbe oscillated. Pivotally secured at 32 to thev upper end of the arm 24is a link 345.fk Thelinktis pivoted to a seed potato cutting mechanism36 which is described in myy prior patent hereinbefore mentioned.mechanism 36 forms no part of my present invent-ion I will not furtherdescribe it.`

As the cutting A seed potato hopper 38 is mounted on the frame ot thepotato planter 10 and co`m-v prisesfour sides and` bottom members 4:0.The bottom members 410 extend inwardly just `far enough to leave anopening in the bottom` of the hopper y38 of substantially largedimensions. A chute comprising sides 11-2 vand affront and back 44 and46 is posi tionedbelow the hopper 38 and above they cuttingmechanism 36whereby seed .potatoes entering the chute from the hopper will bedirected onto the cutting knivesof the cutting mechanism 36.

`.The chute is substantially smaller than the .opening formed `by theinner edges of the members 40 `of the hopper and spanning the distancebetween the opening through the chute and the inner edges of the members40 are a plurality of agitator wings 48, 50, and 52. The wings 4:8, 50,and 52 are adapted to agitate ythe seed potatoes contained in the hopper38. while the potato llt) Cil

` consequently oscillate the agitator wings 48.v

planter isin motion whereby the potatoes will be properly moved to dropinto the chute and onto the cutting mechanism 36.v

The wings 48 are secured to rock shafts 54e.

The rock shafts 54 are journaled in bea-rings 56 and 58 supportedbeneath the bottom members 40 of the hopper. The rock shafts 5l areformed with downwardly extending crank arms 60 which are operativelyconnectcd together by a link 62. It will be obvious that longitudinal.reciprocation of the link G2 will swing the crank arms 60 and Forcausing such reciprocation of the link G2 provide a bell crank 6ft]onrn`aled on the bearings 6G secured to the back side of thepotatohopper 38. The bell crank 64 is pro-` vided with a pair of armshaving' the reference numerals G8 and 70. `Thc arm 68` is pivoted to thelink 62 intermediate its length whereby oscillation of the bell crankwill reciprocate the link. y t

For cansino such oscillation ot the bell crank (il I provide a lever 72.The lever-72- is pivoted to a bracket M secnred to the` back side of thehopper 38 and its lower end is formed "with a` slotj'ZG adapted tocoact` with a pin 78. The ,pin 7 8 is supported on the armlll. Swingingmovement of the` arm" 2l will canse corres ondino swin infr moyement otthe lever 72 as for instance to the potato? cutting mechanism and hassecured to it an arni82.y `The lowerend `of thcarm 82 is operativelyconnected by a.` link 8A tothe link and arm 70 whcrebyfthe agitator wingOis oscillated when the lever 72 is.

swung.

The agitatorwing is hingedto the frontA member 41141 of the chiite andis provided' with an arm 86. Anarm 88 is secnred to one of the` `rock`shafts `5ft and its free end extends over the i'rce4 en'd ofthe arm 86.The` free ends of the arms 86 and' 88 are operatively connectedtogeether by` al bolt/90` or" the like. The" connection jnstdesc'ribedmust befnni versal and theopenina's infthearmsl 86 and.

88 therefrom are formedlarger` than the bolt f90. A washer 92ispositioncd between the arms; This yprovides a loose or universalconnection between thearms 86 and 88so that nofbindinp` ofthe partsoccurs during operation ot the device. i I have"iionndy thattlieagitator inst described Aworks, *much* bettcrthan the one'` which "I hadshownin my former patent and` vto the remaining wing.

insures that the seed potatoes will be correctly fed through the chiiteand onto' the cutting mechanism 8G. The device operates entirelysatisfactorily in conjunction with a potato planter..

It will be obvious 'from thc 'toregingi' specin iication that I haveprovided a hopper with av plurality of agitator wings therein and haveoperatively connected the wings to gcther in a simple manner wherebycompli cation of mechanical operating parts is eliminated.

Some changes may be made in the details of the structure andarrangementen? the varh` ous parts of my potato agitator and 1t 1s mypurpose and intent to cover by my claims any such changes or any use ofmechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably includ# ed within theirscope. y

I claim as my invention:` 1. A device of the character describedcomprising a hopper, hinged wings inthe bottom thereof, two of saidwings having crank arms associated therewith, a link con neetion betweenthe free endsof said crank arms, a bell crank having an arm pivoted tosaid link intermediate its length whereby oscillation imparted to theother arm of said bell crank will oscillate said wings, another crankarm` associated with another of `said wings and a link connectionbetween said last mentioned crank arm `and said other arm of said bellcrank.

y. 2. A device of the characterfdescrbed comprising ahopper, hingedwings in the` bottom thereof, two of` said `wings having crank armsassociated therewith. a link con` nection between the free ends of saidcrank arms, a bell crank having an arm pivotedlto said link intermediateits length whereby` oscillationimparted tothe other arm of said bellcrank will oscillate said wings,another crank arm `associated with`another of said wings, a link connection between said last mentioned,crank` arm and .said other` arm of said bell crank, `a rock armassociatedflwith the remaining wing and a coacting rock arm` associatedwith `one of `the lirst mentioned wings whereby its oscillation istransmitted n "character described comprising a'hopper, hinged. wings inthe bottom thereof, two of "saidwniqs having crank arms associatedtherewith.` a link con?` nection betweenthetree ends of said crank arms.a bell crank having' an arm pivotedto said link intermediate its lengthLwhereby oscillation imparted tothe/other arm of Asaid bell crank 'willoscillatesaidwings, a rock 3. A device of ,he

arm associated with another of said wings and a enactingr rockarmassociate'd with one of the first mentioned wings whereby its los lao

oscillation is" transmitted to said last mentioned wing. f' t i i .p

4. In a device of the character described, a

pair of shafts, arms on said shafts, a link connecting the free ends ofsaid arms together, a bell crank havino one of its arms pivot'ed to saidlink, a pair of cross shafts between said first pair of shafts, oneshaft of said last pair, being operatively connected to one of saidfirst mentioned shaftsand the other one having a link connection withthe other arm of said bell crank whereby both l pairs of shafts areoscillated simultaneously with said bell crank and agitator Wingssecured to said shafts.

5. In a device of the character described, a

pair of shafts, arms on said shafts, a link' connecting the free ends ofsaid arms together, a bell crank having one of its arms pivoted to saidlink, a pair of cross shafts between said first pair of shafts, oneshaft of said last pair having an arm thereon, one of said firstmentioned shafts having an arm thereon, a universal connection betweenthe free ends of said arms whereby the shafts so connected areosoillated simultaneously With said bell crank and agitator Wingssecured to said shafts.

ALBERT W. GRAY.

